Dear All, Dr Jon Turner from the UK GRAD programme will be visiting the University this year to promote the UK GRAD Schools as detailed below. As the end of semester is approaching, I'd be grateful if you could reply and let me know if you would be able to attend this event over the summer break at the University (Yes), or if you would prefer that it went ahead next semester (No). www.grad.ac.uk GRAD Courses GRAD courses are designed for postgraduate research students to assess their personal skills, develop team building skills and career management skills. Increasingly the development of generic or transferable skills is seen as an important element in a PhD. The pressures to complete your PhD are such that it is very difficult to stand back and assess where you are and what you want to do next. GRAD courses offer you the chance to do just that. They are courses that allow you to identify ways to develop yourself, see the relevance of your skills in different environments and more able to promote yourself and your abilities. Attending a course can help you: * complete your PhD successfully * make a successful transition to your next position The UK GRAD Programme is involved in designing and delivering courses in many forms. There are different courses to suit you. You can attend a national or a local course. They come in different lengths too: one to five days. All GRAD courses are designed for you to learn through team-based tasks. Many of these tasks are case studies based on real events in different career sectors. Others are skills development activities, sometimes focussing on something specific like career management, sometimes outdoors, helping you identify your personal contribution to the team. You can use choosing a course to look for the mix to suit you. National GRADschools , which are 3 to 5 day residential workshops open to all 2nd and 3rd year PhDs. Some students are entitled to funded places on these courses. * No other courses offers the same breadth of experience in such a short time * GRADschools provide the optimum environment for taking time out to plan your future * They are designed to suit all subject disciplines and any amount of prior experience * It could be the most enjoyable few days of your PhD Local GRAD courses normally run by or with a local university tend to be shorter (1 - 3 days) and often non-residential. They are open to all local students and some have places for students from other institutions. Best wishes, Natalie. Natalie Bradshaw Research Services Officer Planning & Research Office, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA 01786 466691 natalie.bradshaw@stir.ac.uk